It's been another month and Eddie and Aaron have finally reconvened for another episode. In our 17th episode, we are once again without a guest, but that's okay because there's a lot on our minds. Eddie and his family upgraded their living situation leading us to discuss the state of the American Dream in 2021, the blistering housing market, and what it actually means to move into a house. We also discuss the terrible situation in Aghanistan, the upcoming school season, and taking theme park trips with toddlers during COVID. Basically, a bunch of fun light-hearted stuff. Hell, it ain't called the Dadward Spiral for nothing.
Gig-Dads
It's Episode 16, and after a near two month hiatus, Eddie and Aaron have returned. And we're here to explain why there's been some unexpected chunks of time between episodes. Long story short: Being a dad is already a challenge, but to do so when you work in an uncertain industry, at home, during a pandemic, things turn into a juggle rather quickly. In this episode, we break down our own experiences as freelancers and contract employees, and how that job instability impacts our role as parents and the relationships we maintain with our family -- as well as those we work with.
Brian Levine: T1D Dads
Episode 15 is here and it's the first time we're joined by someone outside of the entertainment industry. That doesn't mean this isn't a worthwhile chat, though. Aaron's childhood friend Brian Levine joins us to talk about his experience in parenting two kids with Type 1 diabetes. The conversation follows the journey he and his wife have been on in discovering the issue, traversing the public school system, and learning about service dogs who are trained to help people with diabetes. It's an emotional, informative discussion and will hopefully provide some clarity for those parents who may find themselves in a similar position.
Drew Daywalt: Following the Feather
It's Episode 14 and Aaron is joined by horror filmmaker-turned bestselling children’s book author Drew Daywalt. In this hour-long chat, Drew and Aaron discuss the relationship between horror movies and fairytales, the pivot his creative process took when he became a father, and the unexpected path he ended up taking once his first book, "The Day The Crayons Quit," got published. Eddie may be missing from this episode, but we explore the tried-and-true topics of media literacy, creativity, and the ways in which our own work may impact our children’s lives.
Dani Fernandez: The Many Shades of Privilege
It's Episode 13 and Eddie and Aaron are joined by comedy writer, voice actor, and activist Dani Fernandez. We start this episode off exploring such wonderful topics like public pooping, the odd spill-over between QAnon and hardcore Snyder Cut fans, and being really into Crypto. But things soon get real as Dani adds her perspective to the deeper conversation -- which revolved around trauma, the importance of language (ie: DBT Therapy), representation on social media and in entertainment, white privilege, and the ways in which we, as parents, aim to communicate these issues to our children. At the end of the day, this one's all about authenticity and promoting kindness into the world. Which tends to be a simple, yet difficult, thing to do.
Tradition, Tra-DAD-ition
After over a month away, Aaron and Eddie return for a free-for-all episode. In this lengthy episode, we commiserate over our ongoing pandemic parenting lives. Digging deeper into familiar themes of generational trauma and self-reflection, the two of us engage in an emotional conversation about parental resentment and reconciling our own pasts, our relationships with our parents, and opinions about the mistakes they may have made in raising us, as we do our best not to continue that cycle with our kids. We also try to imagine what going back to normal after COVID might mean and give some entertainment suggestions to help you all pass the time as we continue to socially distance ourselves in-doors.
The Totally Dad Show
Aaron and Eddie welcome writer, actor, host, podcaster, Dungeon Master and dad Jeff Cannata (The Totally Rad Show, We Have Concerns) to the show. Aaron and Jeff go back nearly two decades but it's Eddie who comes to Jeff's aid in explaining to Aaron the appeal of watching people play D&D online. This episode is all about fandom and the ways we as parents share our geeky and creative passions with our children - whether it's through character creation in a role playing game or sharing a video game playing experience with your kids. As creatives in the media industry, we also dig into the ways in which we hope our kids interact with the various screens they are exposed to while aiming to deliver a well-rounded experience separated by the array of media available at their fingertips. Speaking of media, we do hope you thoroughly enjoy this episode.
The Haunting of Dad House
Aaron and Eddie are joined by writer-director Mike Flanagan, who many have dubbed as a present-day Master of Horror. The man behind genre hits like Oculus, Hush, The Haunting of Hill House and Gerald's Game sits down with us to unpack the very heavy human issues he continually explores in his work. From generational trauma to the haunting impact of death to the enduring time capsules we, as creators, are leaving behind for our children to find, this insightful conversation goes beyond the man's work to understand what messaging exists at the core of his projects and digs into how fatherhood changed his creative process, understanding of self, and his overall outlook on life.
New Year, Same Dads
Sometimes you just need to check-in with yourself and in this episode, Aaron and Eddie do just that. After the past two months, things have felt a bit off-kilter in the world, and in our own respective dad worlds, as well. So here, join us as we chat about everything from the Capitol insurrection to Bean Dad to sleep disorders and whatever the hell you'd categorize YouTuber Blippi as. Welcome to the recalibration episode.
Feast, Famine, and Fatherhood
Aaron is joined by friend and screenwriter Todd Farmer, who's written movies like Jason X, My Bloody Valentine, and Drive Angry. It's the new year and our focus in this episode is on the push-pull dynamic of shame vs. gratitude. And for Todd, who ended up living in his car a few years back, this is a profoundly important topic. We talk about the enduring power of positivity and the importance of having a support group when you hit the low points in your life. Like Aaron, Todd never wanted to be a dad but now that he is one, he couldn't see his life working out any other way.
Happy Fatherkah and Merry Dadmas
In their final episode of the year, Eddie and Aaron delve into the holiday traditions that made up their childhood. Some of them had remained in tact after all these years while new ones have made their way into each man's life to build new memories within their own families. Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, New Years, and even Passover make an appearance here. 2020 has been a rough go but we hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Here's to brighter days, soon enough.
PTSD, Fatherhood, and You
Aaron and Eddie are joined by Kether Donohue who's best known for her performance as Lindsey in FX's You're the Worst. More importantly, she's the first female guest to enter the Dadward Spiral. In this episode, Kether and Eddie bond over being raised by Vietnam War vets and the heartbreaking damage Agent Orange did to their fathers. We discuss how secondary PTSD can impact us as children and adults and dig into Kether's new CBS sitcom B Positive, and the real issue of renal failure and kidney dialysis many Americans deal with on a daily basis. As per usual, we go deep and even though there are sound issues throughout the episode, this one was a profoundly satisfying one to record.
Watch It, Dad
Aaron and Eddie are joined by Drew McWeeny - film critic, podcaster, writer, producer, and dad. With over two decades of experience in the pop culture commentary world, Drew comes into this conversation with a wealth of movie knowledge, and a passion for media literacy. Here, he discusses his mission to teach his sons about the language of movies and television, and give them the tools to think analytically about the things they are watching. In today's quick fix culture landscape, where an overwhelming amount of content is available at just a touch of the finger, this episode feels like a necessary listen for everyone - whether you're a parent or not.
Be Father, My Friend
Aaron and Eddie are joined by documentary filmmaker Rory Karpf who's worked on the likes of Coach Snoop, the 30 for 30 doc about Ric Flair, and more. In this episode, the trio discuss the ways in which childhood bullying and abuse impacts their own parenting methodologies. Rory and Eddie share their insights on martial arts and the bonding experience a father can share with his son during such training. Aaron goes into the watershed moment in his life that set him on the path to becoming a father. And Rory gives us insight into the working relationship and wonderful friendship he cultivated with the late Luke Perry.
A Fatherhood Ruckus
Aaron and Eddie are joined by Gary Anthony Williams, who you may know as Uncle Ruckus from The Boondocks or BeBop from that last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. But there's so much more to him than meets the eye. In this episode, we talk about the importance of embracing the little bits of parenting joy you can find, Gary discusses how he cultivated an honest and open relationship with his son, and we get some much-needed insight on his experience growing up as a Black man in the south and how his childhood and familial ties informed his role as a parent.
Dad Men
Aaron is joined by Kevin Rahm, who you may recognize from shows like Friends, Mad Men, Bates Motel, Lethal Weapon, and many others. In this episode, the two bond over a shared lack of a strong father figure growing up and commiserate on their experiences with child birth. Kevin talks about the importance of the charity work he does for St. Jude Children's Hospital, especially during such chaotic times as these and reminds us we can all do with a little kindness in our lives.
The Father Destination
Eddie and Aaron are joined by Devon Sawa to talk about being a child actor, his goal of educating his kids through travel, the importance of knowing when to disconnect from social media, and doing Halloween on lockdown.
Introducing the Spiral
In this introduction to Dadward Spiral, Eddie and Aaron talk about their own trials and tribulations of fatherhood, the low bar society has created for dads, and the challenges they've faced raising their kids during a pandemic - all while giving you an idea of what to expect on Dadward Spiral. So toss the BBQ into the lake, set the barcalounger on fire, and subscribe now so you don't miss the first official episode!
Coming soon!
Join hosts Aaron Pruner and Eddie Doty as they dive deep into the often-sleepless, the mostly-misunderstood, and the completely-misrepresented rabbit hole of fatherhood. What's it like growing up with a dad - or without one? How does that experience impact our lives? And hey, is fatherhood a thing that'll change us forever? Dadward Spiral is here to shine a light in the darkness and explore our culture's overall perspective on dads -- both the spot-on and the ridiculously off-base.